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Some involved in UA’s probe, penalties take low profile; others are still fighting

File photo | Alan Spearman, The Commercial Appeal
Albert Means, at the center of Alabama’s NCAA violations, still is not talking about the issue.
By Christopher Walsh Sports Writer
Published: Thursday, February 1, 2007 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, January 31, 2007 at 11:00 p.m.

TUSCALOOSA | When the first call was answered Tuesday night, the woman on the other end said that Albert Means was at the high school and probably wouldn’t comment on the University of Alabama’s probation with the National Collegiate Athletic Association expiring.

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The second call at the predetermined time set by the woman was not answered.

Such is the life of the former standout defensive tackle who has tried to put his past behind him, but no matter what will forever be linked to the recruiting scandal that could have brought the death penalty to Crimson Tide football.

Means, who was allowed by the NCAA to transfer to Memphis without sitting out a year, wasn’t selected in the 2005 NFL Draft after his college eligibility expired. However, he still received a degree and is now a physical education teacher and assistant football coach at Treadwell High School near Memphis.

Means’ most recent comment regarding his recruitment by Alabama came in 2005 when The Commercial Appeal asked him about a statement made by his former coach at Trezevant High School, Lynn Lang.

Lang, who claimed Alabama booster Logan Young gave him $150,000 to steer Means to the Tide, told the Memphis newspaper that he gave $60,000 to Means’ family.

Lynn’s statement came after Young had been convicted. Prosecutors had portrayed Means as being an innocent bystander.

“Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? I don’t know," said Means, who hasn’t publicly discussed it since.

Here’s where other people involved in the Alabama investigation and penalties are today:

  • University president Andrew Sorensen left in May 2002 for the same position at South Carolina.
  • Gene Marsh, Alabama’s faculty athletics representative, now chairs the NCAA Division I Infractions Committee, with a term limit of Sept. 2008. He replaced Thomas Yeager, who remains the commissioner of the Colonial Athletic Association.
  • Marie Robbins is still the senior women’s administrator at Alabama, but is no longer the school’s director of NCAA enforcement.
  • Young was prosecuted in federal court in Memphis for conspiracy, crossing state lines to commit racketeering and bribery of a state official, and structuring a financial transaction to evade reporting requirements. He appealed his conviction, but before it could be heard Young was found dead in his home on April 11, 2006. Although police initially called it a “mystery murder investigation," they later ruled Young’s death an accident. He apparently bled to death after falling down a staircase.
  • Ray Keller, another implicated Alabama booster, filed a libel and defamation lawsuit against the NCAA and others in Jan. 2004, but the case appears far from being concluded.

    The latest delay is over Jackson County Circuit Judge John Graham’s ruling that Keller is a limited public figure, which provides him an easier standard for proving defamation. The NCAA has asked the Alabama Supreme Court to intervene. Fellow booster Wendell Smith also filed suit.

  • Rich Johanningmeier, the chief investigator in the Alabama case, still works for the NCAA, but is no longer an enforcement representative. He was also named in a lawsuit filed by former Mississippi State coach Jackie Sherrill. That case is also delayed due to an NCAA motion.

    Former assistant coaches Ronnie Cottrell and Ivy Williams sued the NCAA and recruiting analyst Tom Culpepper, only to see most of their case dismissed during a high-profile civil trial in Tuscaloosa. When a jury found in favor of Cottrell to the amount of $30 million from Culpepper, the judge threw the verdict out and ordered a new trial. The entire case is under appeal with the Alabama Supreme Court. Cottrell is now the head football coach at Carroll High School in Ozark, and last year Williams left Savannah State to join Cottrell’s staff.

    Mike DuBose, Alabama’s head coach when most of the allegations occurred, is currently the head coach at Division III Millsaps College. Last season the Majors went 7-4.

    Neil Calloway, who was on DuBose’s staff (1997-2000), was named head coach at UAB last month. He was hired away from Georgia, where he had been the offensive coordinator.

    Culpepper, who was named in numerous lawsuits, still lives in Alabama and is still waiting for the cases to be resolved. Phillip Fulmer, who introduced him to NCAA investigators, is still the head coach at Tennessee. He has still never given a deposition in any lawsuit.

    Lang was sentenced to two years supervised probation, 500 hours community service and fined $2,500 for a guilty plea in conspiring to get Means to sign with Alabama. Lang was allowed to amend his tax returns and moved to Michigan.

    As for some of the players mentioned in the allegations:

    Michael Gaines, who was recruited by Alabama, played tight end at Central Florida. He just finished his third year with the Carolina Panthers, and last season had nine starts, 15 receptions and 146 yards.

    Fernando Bryant just finished his eighth season in the NFL and played in 10 games this past season with the Detroit Lions. The former Tide defensive back had 46 tackles and six passes defended.

    Travis Carroll, whom the NCAA said received use of a car for attending Alabama, transferred to Florida after his sophomore season to finish his collegiate career. Carroll last played in NFL Europe in 2005.

    Reach Christopher Walsh at christopher.walsh@tuscaloosanews.com or at 205-722-0196.


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